Free Lakeside Romance by Lisa Jordan Page B

grabbed their backpacks and followed her to the porch. She reached her door about the same time as Alec’s opened and he stepped outside.
    Dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a navy T-shirt, he nodded at her and flashed a quick smile. But the moment he caught sight of the boys, the smile disappeared under the weight of his puckered brows. Lines bracketed his thin lips.
    Sarah smiled. “Hey, Alec. You remember Daniel and Toby, right? From the summer outreach program?”
    Nodding, Alec thrust his hands in his pockets. “Boys.”
    â€œMr. Seaver.” Daniel lifted a hand in greeting.
    â€œA word, Sarah?”
    â€œSure, no problem.” She turned and handed Daniel her set of keys. “Hey, guys, give us a minute, will you? Head upstairs and make yourselves at home. There are cold drinks in the fridge. I’ll order pizza as soon as I’m done talking with Alec.”
    Daniel studied them a minute, then reached for the keys. Neither said a word as they took the stairs two at a time. Once they unlocked the door and let themselves inside, she steeled her spine and faced Alec. “What’s up?”
    With his back pressed against the porch railing, he folded his arms over his chest and crossed his ankles. The intensity of his stare made her want to squirm, but she refused to be intimidated. The boys needed her today, and it was only temporary.
    Sliding her sunglasses to the top of her head, she kept her tone casual, repeating, “You wanted a word?”
    He nodded toward her closed door. “What are they doing here?”
    â€œTheir grandma fell off a chair and broke a hip. Daniel called me from the hospital, very upset.”
    â€œSo why are they here?”
    â€œShe’s their sole caregiver, so I brought them home with me. With her permission, of course. They’re tired, so they’re spending the night here to get some rest since I have stuff to do to prep for tomorrow’s cooking lesson.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œNo, what?”
    â€œNo, the boys aren’t staying here.” Even though Alec didn’t raise his voice, the “my word is final” tone in his voice set her teeth on edge.
    Pausing a second to school her tone, she shot him a direct look that showed she refused to back down. “Yes, they are. They have nowhere else to go. They’re minors.”
    â€œWhat about CYS?”
    She tossed her arms up. “Children and Youth? Seriously? Where’s your heart?”
    Alec’s eyes narrowed. “Your lease states no one else is allowed to live here without prior permission from the landlord, which is me, in case you’ve forgotten.”
    â€œOf course not, but you’re being a little ridiculous, don’t you think?”
    â€œMy house, my rules.”
    â€œWow, total high-school flashback. Have some compassion, Alec. It’s not like I tried to sneak them in or anything. Those boys have gone through a lot. They lost both parents in a car accident over Christmas and left everything they knew to move up here to Shelby Lake to live with their grandma. Nancy’s been working hard to help them adjust. They’re good kids. They’ve been a part of our church’s youth group since they’ve moved here. They need someone they can trust, and that’s me.”
    She touched his arm. He tensed. Sarah dropped her hand to her side. “Listen, I know you dislike teenagers, but they are good boys, and it’s only for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll know more about what’s going on with Nancy. Then, if need be, I’ll stay at their place until she comes home. Or if it really stresses you out that much, I’ll grab a few things and then head back to their place tonight.”
    Alec ground his jaw and looked over her shoulder. Even though he hadn’t changed positions, he remained totally wound. “I don’t like it.”
    â€œI didn’t ask you to. They’re teenagers, Alec—not